Sheperd's Pie = pan of deliciousness

I know what your thinking... Wow Colleen is just post happy.... Well I've got some things that I had back logged, and now since I decided to try and do this little thing called a blog, I've gotta tell the world...hehe.

We are huge fans of diners, drive-in and dives on the foodnetwork. Guy Fieri is awesome. So last week he went to this restaurant that had Sheperd's Pie. Michael was asking me what it was, and the only way to describe it was, Meatloaf, veggies and mashed potatoes layered and baked... So that phrase intrigued Michael, and off I went to find a recipe that wasn't going to be a caloric party....

So low and behold, I found a recipe on food network.com that was chocked full of veggies, and had some pretty good reviews. I made it, and did it according to the recipe. It was delicious and filling. Thank you Ellie Krieger of Food Network, for blessing my family with this recipe. It will be made for years to come.

Sheperd's Pie Recipe (WW- 7 pts a serving)

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (90 percent lean or higher)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 3 cups)
• 3 medium carrots, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold or creamery potatoes
• 1 small head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
• 2/3 cup 1 percent lowfat milk
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

In a large nonstick skillet cook the meat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Drain any fat remaining in the skillet.

Heat the oil in the skillet over a medium heat. Add the on

ions and carrots and cook, covered, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Raise the heat to moderately-high. Add the mushrooms and thyme and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft and their liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes longer. Return the meat to the pan. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a simmer being sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the peas. Pour the mixture into a 12-cup shallow baking dish (about 11 by 9 inches).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes and cut into 2-inch pieces. Arrange the potatoes in a steamer basket, and steam for 10 minutes. Add the cauliflower to the basket and cook until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes longer. Mash the vegetables with a potato masher until smooth. Heat the milk, butter, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper and stir into the potato mixture.

Spread the potato mixture on top of the meat and bake until heated through, about 25 minutes.

Per Serving:

Calories 340; Total Fat 9 g; (Sat Fat 4 g, Mono Fat 3.5 g, Poly Fat 1 g) ; Protein 24 g; Carb 42 g; Fiber 7 g; Cholesterol 50 mg; Sodium 540 mg